This Saturday, October 28 at 6:30 p.m. will be the Saints Bookstore Basketball Benefit Night at the Green House, where the 2006-2007 Seward County Community College men’s and women’s basketball programs will host a night of fun for children and adults of all ages. This year the benefit night will support Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Seward, Haskell and Stevens Counties. Admission is free, and all goodwill donations will be accepted at the door.

Each day this week there will be a preview for the Saints and Lady Saints in preparation for the start of basketball season. The following is an outline of preview topics that will be highlighted this week:

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS FACT OF THE DAY:
- There are currently 66 Big Brother Big Sister matches in the Seward, Haskell and Stevens Counties area. SCCC has been a major contributing force behind helping children in this area with 18 matches currently coming from the college as an employee or student.
- In 2000, over 57,000 at risk children live in the state of Kansas.
- To learn more go to www.ksbbbs.org

FOREIGN IMPACT
Within recent years, many of the Saints and Lady Saints top players have been international players that have traveled to Liberal, Kansas, to learn a new brand of basketball and a different type of lifestyle. The SCCC basketball programs have found talent from overseas and are looking for a major impact from their foreign players again this season.

Last season, the Seward County Saints relied heavily on two-year starting center Adam Tanner, who came to SCCC from Melbourne, Australia. Tanner was not only a standout on the basketball court being named All-Conference, All-Region VI and Pre-Season All-American, Tanner was also involved with the community of Liberal. Tanner spent time as a Big Brother with the Kansas Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization, was a resident assistant in the SCCC Living Center and was named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll on several occasions. Tanner was rewarded by his impressive play by receiving an athletic scholarship to continue his collegiate basketball career and his college education at the University of Denver this fall (NCAA D-I).

The Saints have brought in two foreign players for the 2006-2007 season. Freshman big man, Darko Cohadarevic (Belgrade, Serbia) and freshman guard, Mat Hardiman (Lara, Australia), are both expected to make an impact in their first year with the Saints. Cohadarevic is a 6’9” post-player who exemplifies the word versatility. Cohadarevic will be one of the Saints players who can run the court and also play a down-low game that will challenge opponent’s front line with his size and strength around the basket. In his final season in Serbia, Cohadarevic averaged 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 blocks per game for the Smederevo Basketball Club.

Hardiman is a physical specimen who is a left-handed shooter with a nice outside touch. Standing at 6’3” he will also have the strength and toughness to play down-low and post-up against smaller guards defending him. Hardiman averaged 31 points with nine rebounds and four assists per game in his senior season at Geelong High School.

The Lady Saints have had success throughout the past years with their international players. SCCC has sent several international players onto the NCAA D-I and D-II level including Flavia Azinheira (St. Mary’s University), Gintare’ Cipinyte’ (Iowa State University), Marta Dydek (University of Texas-El Paso), Deolinda Ngulela (Emporia State University) and Vaida Zagurskyte’ (University of Texas-El Paso) to name just a few.

This season the Lady Saints are joining freshman guard, Tegan Cunningham (Doncaster, Australia), with returning sophomore, Ilda Chambe, to their successful list of international players. Chambe was one-of-four freshmen last season to be named Jayhawk West All-Conference. Chambe ranked 38th in the NJCAA in rebounding and 3rd in the NJCAA Region VI in total rebounds in conference competition. Chambe improved every game last season, and with her sophomore season coming up, look for big things from No. 12 in the paint for the Lady Saints.

Cunningham is a highly touted guard who has size (6’1”) along with an outside shot that will present trouble for opposing defenses. She was named to the Victorian State basketball team (Top 10 players in the state) and she has competed for one of the elite basketball teams in her hometown area.

Come be a part of the Saints Bookstore Basketball Benefit Night on Saturday, October 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the Green House. Help support Big Brothers Big Sisters and Lady Saints Basketball on Saturday night!

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